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Just for the record, yes, my latest novel, The Queen of Deceit, did have a scene where a fire-breathing dragon, being flown by a rider in combat against an army, is struck (nonfatally) by what I very specifically say is a bolt from a scorpion. Just please bear in mind that my book came out before this season of Game of Thrones had even begun!

It’s hard to get validation or even constructive criticism these days (what a lot of people call reviews) and here I found some, unlooked for, and on my birthday no less! Also got my first Amazon review for The Queen of Deceit, all the way from Great Britain, five stars! I do wonder why Amazon shows American reviews on Great Britain’s site, but does not reciprocate by showing reviews from Great Britain here?

Anyhow, with such obvious good taste going for her, ahem, I intend to take at look at some of her works as soon as I finish the two or three books I am currently in the middle of reading. Check her out at http://jconradfantasy.com/

Getting so close I can taste it. Final editing and proof reading going on. If you liked the first two I think it’s a fair bet you’ll like this one a lot. Things are heating up in Tethera and some of the secrets are starting to leak.

Here is a picture of something pretty similar to a couple of Caradog’s sling catapults. He’s pretty proud of his, even if the initial design was someone else’s. (The Picts, however, are reportedly less than happy with them.)

People have been patient and I appreciate that. What is the status of The Queen of Deception, or is it The Queen of Deceit? (I think she has me befuddled now.) The book is coming to a close with perhaps only three of four not overly long chapters remaining. Alas, I write fast when I write and tend to leave out words, and my brain seems to like to fill them in for me later, so that I don’t notice their absence. So the editing and proof-reading process will take a bit, and will be over only when I think it should be. I know I rushed The Forged Prince and didn’t do anyone any favors.

Fighting my way through fixing its errors since then has been something like pushing through all these ferns, weeds, and mud in the hills of Wales–although perhaps not as sweaty but much less scenic.

When I encountered a slow down during one of the mass battle scenes towards the end of the third and, as yet, unpublished book, I found myself returning to read parts of the first. Whereupon I started catching errors, as well as things I thought could have been done better, grammar and punctuation improvements, and so on. It’s the curse of having become what I hope is a much better writer since I published it.

Then I found myself unhappy with the overall pacing and structure of the book. Suffice it to say, the presentation has changed drastically. I intend to ask Amazon to make the new version available as an optional update for previous purchasers, (new purchasers get the new version) but I’ve also learned this is something Amazon is extremely loath to do. Still and all, I am publishing it, chapter by chapter, on Wattpadd and by the time it finished, or even slightly before, my hope is that the third and penultimate book in this series will be available.

I’m starting to get inquiries. My apologies to those looking for information on book 3, The Queen of Deceit. Rest assured it is still coming but not, I fear, in time for Christmas. Family matters have just occupied too much of my time and, apparently, I’m not one of those writers for whom writing fiction is therapeutic.

After a long hiatus, however, I am back at work on it. Lot’s of twisty details even I have to refresh myself on (well, we are talking about the Queen of Deceit here), but I’m feeling good about what is going on the pages. After busting two self-imposed deadlines, I am leery of setting a third, but please know you can sign up for my mailing list here and I will let you know when we are closer, and when it is actually out. As always, I promise I won’t spam you or share it with anyone else. Also, be sure you never mistake a Fomorii for a Formorian; that would just be silly.

In the meantime, in a feeble attempt to keep you entertained in the interim, here is a tidbit from when I was working on becoming a highly paid comic strip writer. Philo is a super-genius but that does not fit his self-image (he sees himself more as a typical boy) so he alters things a bit and, as a consequence, this makes his reality somewhat unique.

Returned from my tour of Wales. Wow. Ten days, eight castles, a bunch of hikes (mostly uphill it seemed like), a slew of historical places, some really great food (how come Americans don’t have triple cooked chips everywhere, the way they do over there?), super pleasant bed and breakfasts . . . and three gigabytes of pictures.

For those who ever wondered, the exterior of Castle Caerphilly was my inspiration for the Caerleon in The Chronicles of Tethera, while Castle Pembroke inspired the interior. After seeing them all, my favorite has to be Castle Carreg Cennen. There is not even a trail leading up to this remote place. My wife and I were able to gain access to the hill and the castle from the farmer that owns it. The two of us were totally alone up there. We even descended into the deepest depths of the Neolithic caves far beneath it (that could be entered only through the interior of the castle).

I’m feeling motivated to crank down on The Queen of Deception now–I’m sure she’s been feeling neglected.